In a statement
issued on Thursday, ZERA also warned the dealers that they
risked having their licenses revoked if they sold fuel at prices
beyond stipulated ones.

The stipulated price
for petrol is 1.41 U.S. dollars.

“Petroleum licensees
are hereby warned to cease and desist from such criminal
activities as they risk prosecution and cancellation of their
licenses. ZERA’s compliance officers are on the ground assessing
the situation,” the authority said.

The country has been
experiencing erratic fuel supplies for several weeks now because
of foreign currency shortages, with motorists enduring long
queues at filling stations.

ZERA also
discouraged the use of fuel containers, saying that this
increased chances of contamination and subsequent damage to
motor engines.

Its warning came as
the government on Wednesday denied that it had banned the use of
containers such as jerry cans for fuel transportation.

The government said
it had noted that there were genuine cases where people used
containers for onward use but warned people against hoarding the
commodity for resale on the black market.

Energy and Power
Development Minister Joram Gumbo said the fuel supply situation
is improving but remains constrained.

“The nation is
assured that (the) government is doing its best to ensure
continued supply of fuel throughout the country and, therefore,
there is no need for hoarding and panic-buying.

“My ministry notes
that there are genuine cases of legitimate customers that
include command agriculture and other farmers, owners of
grinding mills, schools and hospitals that require fuel for
their generators and many other uses, who out of necessity, have
to uplift fuel in containers,” he said.

Zimbabwe has a daily
consumption of 2.5 million liters of diesel and 1.5 million
liters of petrol.

.

EARLIER REPORTS:

Zimbabwe’s ruling party sets
dates for annual conference

HARARE Zimbabwe (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe’s ruling party ZANU-PF has tentatively
set Dec. 11-16 as dates for its 17th Annual National
People’s Conference, to be held in Esigodini, Matabeleland South
Province, with 5,000 delegates expected to attend.

The dates will be
confirmed by the party’s highest decision-making body outside
congress, the Politburo, at its next meeting.

Party secretary for
administration Obert Mpofu said that the party had activated its
sub-committees which are coordinating with key stakeholders so
that the conference is a success, state newspaper The Herald
reported Tuesday.

The party holds
annual conferences four years in a row at which it looks at the
state of affairs within its ranks and in government and decides
on policies on issues that affect the populace.

The annual
conferences are then followed by elective congresses in the
fifth year.

.

New EU ambassador to Zimbabwe
begins tour
of duty and pledges support for reforms

HARARE Zimbabwe (Xinhua) -- The European Union’s new ambassador to Zimbabwe,
Timo Olkkonen, began his tour of duty on Thursday after he
presented his credentials to President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the
State House.

He pledged the EU’s
readiness to work with Zimbabwean authorities as they
implemented political and economic reforms.

“I am honored and
excited to start my tour of duty as the European Union’s head of
Delegation to the Republic of Zimbabwe today. Zimbabwe stands at
a crucial juncture and I am looking forward for the country to
take back its rightful place in the region, in Africa and in the
world,” he said.

Olkkonen said the EU
would continue to provide support as the two partners developed
political, economic and trade relations.

“The EU stands ready
to assist and accompany Zimbabwe as the country moves forward to
implement much needed political and economic reforms,” he said.

He takes over from
Philippe van Damme.

.

Zimbabwe vice president back
home after
receiving medical treatment in South Africa

HARARE Zimbabwe (Xinhua) --Zimbabwean vice president Constantino Chiwenga
returned home Tuesday from neighboring South Africa where he had
gone to seek medical treatment, the Herald newspaper reported
Wednesday.

Presidential
spokesperson George Charamba said Chiwenga and his wife Mary,
who had also gone for a medical review, returned back home in
high spirits but indicated that the couple would require time to
recover.

Both Chiwenga and
his wife were among scores of senior government officials that
were affected by the bomb that exploded at President Emmerson
Mnangagwa’s campaign rally in Bulawayo ahead of the July 30
elections.

Charamba said
Chiwenga did not immediately seek thorough medical examination
due to pressing commitments associated with the election
campaign and the formation of a new government soon after the
polls.

The couple traveled
to South Africa last week.

“Obviously the
couple needs time to rally again. The president spoke to the
couple this evening (Tuesday) and is set to visit them at their
home tomorrow (Wednesday),” Charamba said.

He also clarified
social media reports alleging that Foreign Affairs Minister
Sibusiso Moyo had traveled to South Africa for medical
treatment, saying he only went there Tuesday for a medical
review after being treated at a local hospital in Harare.

“He (Moyo) is
expected back in a day’s time. It is understood that he had two
operations meant to remove some growth in the stomach,” Charamba
said.

Chiwenga led the
military intervention which toppled former president Robert
Mugabe in November last year while Moyo is a former military man
who announced on television the military intervention.